Team Building
Stages of development
Tuckman's model: forming (polite, dependent, unclear roles), storming (conflict over roles, goals, and influence), norming (agreements, norms, cohesion), performing (focus on delivery), and adjourning (disbanding and recognition). Storming is normal and often productive; leaders who suppress it tend to get surface harmony and unresolved issues. The sequence is a guide, not a law - teams can loop back when membership or goals change.
What makes teams work
Shared purpose and measurable goals; clear roles and responsibilities (a RACI or team charter helps); agreed norms for communication and meetings; and psychological safety - the shared belief that you can speak up, admit error, and ask a naive question without punishment. Diverse thinking plus inclusion beats homogeneity; Belbin team roles illustrate that balance of contributions matters more than a team of similar high performers. Trust is built through consistency, competence, and candour.
Traps
Assuming a newly formed team can perform immediately; treating storming as failure; confusing a social event with team development; and mistaking consensus for health - groupthink arises when dissent is uncomfortable and challenge disappears.
Worked example
A newly merged team misses its first deadline and blames unclear ownership. Rather than a social outing, the leader runs a working session to agree goals, publish a RACI, and set meeting norms - targeting the actual gap in structure and safety.